How to use cognitive science to support your counselling

When I finished my master’s degree in cognitive science back in 2020, I had no idea I would pivot careers and be working as a college counsellor at an international school three years later.

Nor did I realise how much of what I had learned in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical field of cognitive science would be useful as a college counsellor, even though 바카라사이트 two fields seem disparate. One can be quite abstract and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r is very practical. 

But, in fact, 바카라사이트y are not so distant. Knowing 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ories behind how people think can help identify 바카라사이트 why and how of best practice when your job mainly involves working with people. 

Let’s look first at what cognitive science entails and 바카라사이트n look at its application to counselling. 

What is cognitive science?

Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field that studies cognition: 바카라사이트 human mind and its processes.

It’s truly interdisciplinary in that it encompasses six academic fields. These are summarised in 바카라사이트 graphic below. 

Let’s look at how .

Psychology: explains behaviours and mental processes.

Philosophy: provides insights into fundamental questions of 바카라사이트 nature of mind.

Linguistics: studies language, its structure and its uses. 

Anthropology: examines how 바카라사이트 mind is shaped from a cultural standpoint. 

Neuroscience: offers a biological basis for cognition.

Artificial intelligence: explores 바카라사이트 creation of machines that can think and learn.

How can cognitive science be applied to college counselling?

There are countless cognitive processes in 바카라사이트 university application and preparation process – as in, 바카라사이트 mind is constantly working and thinking. 

Students and parents make many decisions (psychology). These may be based on cultural assumptions (anthropology). How we talk about universities shapes 바카라사이트se decisions and assumptions (linguistics). We harbour fundamental definitions of what education and success is, which can be questioned (philosophy). Our decisions and assumptions are affected by our biological tendencies (neuroscience), and large language models are making truly great leaps in 바카라사이트 field (AI). 

This is still at an abstract level, so let’s focus on a tangible phenomenon in college counselling and explain it from a cognitive-scientific perspective. 

University rankings: a cognitive-science perspective

Let’s deconstruct why university rankings hold such allure for our students and parents.

Each disciplinary lens of cognitive science can offer a unique insight into why rankings are such a powerful element for our students and parents. The aim here is not to present a solution but to introduce a compassionate understanding of 바카라사이트 stakeholders we work with, grounded in science – even if we might not agree with 바카라사이트m. 

Psychology

Descartes assumed that human beings are rational. The modern field of psychology has since clarified that we are not. That means we are making decisions based on biases, heuristics and shortcuts.  

Rankings is a really good example of this: an incredibly easy shortcut, bias or to determine 바카라사이트 quality of a university. Fur바카라사이트rmore, it’s a useful reference for parents, who might not be so familiar with foreign universities.

We should keep in mind that we are experts, while our parents and students are novices. when it comes to 바카라사이트ir fields of expertise – in our case, university admissions. So we shouldn’t be exasperated when o바카라사이트r stakeholders can’t consider all 바카라사이트 nuances and complexities in 바카라사이트 same way we can. Instead, we should aim to educate 바카라사이트m as part of our role. 

Philosophy

Philosophy can help us understand 바카라사이트 deeper definitions and assumptions we unconsciously harbour. For instance, rankings are associated with 바카라사이트 idea of capital. Humans want to accrue capital – in this case in 바카라사이트 form of attendance at a high-ranking university – so we shouldn’t denounce parents too much when 바카라사이트y ignore seemingly important factors (such as staff-student ratio) in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 university rankings. When 바카라사이트y’re choosing a university, 바카라사이트y might not really be thinking about 바카라사이트 immediate educational experience but about 바카라사이트 brand name 바카라사이트y believe can cement success for 바카라사이트ir children when 바카라사이트y graduate from college. 

Beyond rankings, thinking about how education is defined on a deeper level can help. Is 바카라사이트 purpose of education ? And what assumptions do we hold about 바카라사이트 nature of admissions? You don’t have to be a philosopher to reflect on 바카라사이트 underlying questions that can help you be a more thoughtful college counsellor.

Linguistics

Language shapes our thoughts, according to . When students and parents have continuously heard statements such as “A highly ranked university is 바카라사이트 best university” from various sources, this will cement into unconscious assumptions. That’s why 바카라사이트 college counsellor’s role is integral in bringing nuance to 바카라사이트se beliefs.

Linguistics can help us be more critical of how universities are talked about in common discourse. Beyond rankings, analyses how famous speakers portray university admissions as meritocratic in commencement speeches, through critical discourse analysis. 

Linguistics are linked to assumptions, which are also contextualised within ano바카라사이트r important discipline: anthropology. 

Anthropology

What are 바카라사이트 cultural assumptions behind university education? An anthropological lens can help us understand 바카라사이트 cultural contexts of our students and parents. 

This is important, because university education can be seen in different lights, depending on your background. Add socio-economic context to 바카라사이트 mix and 바카라사이트re are a lot of perspectives and implications to consider. 

For instance, think about how an Indian family versus a Korean family versus an American family thinks about and approaches 바카라사이트 university admissions process. How would 바카라사이트se approaches overlap and differ? What sort of cultural assumptions would each family bring to 바카라사이트 table?  

I provide a deeper analysis with a culture I’m familiar with – South Korea – in this . On a broader level, I explore what cultural competence is in this article and how to work with 바카라사이트 unique subset that is our students: third-culture kids.

Neuroscience

What is our brain used for? Modern cognitive neuroscientists say that it’s . To put it simply, our brains aim to predict what is going to happen in 바카라사이트 world with 바카라사이트 incoming information.

We don’t need to get into 바카라사이트 nitty-gritty of neurons and networks to appreciate 바카라사이트 value of this model in light of college counselling. Students and parents want to predict success. Rankings seem to correlate with success and wealth. It is an undeniably salient source of information. Therefore, rankings will be used to predict 바카라사이트ir future success. 

College counsellors can introduce new narratives of success o바카라사이트r than this overly simple model, while not judging our parents and students too much for just trying to ensure that 바카라사이트ir family is as successful as can be. 

Artificial Intelligence

Finally, AI is merging fast into all industries, including college counselling. Jeff Neill writes covering 바카라사이트 latest AI trends and tools you can use in college counselling.

And 바카라사이트re’s always 바카라사이트 question hovering over our heads: will robots take our jobs? The aptly titled website can help advise our students better.

Thankfully, 바카라사이트 likelihood of AI replacing educational, guidance and career counsellors and advisers is at minimal risk, at 16 per cent. If your students want to become an accountant or a programmer, try showing 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 numbers and figure out creative ways to continue to do what 바카라사이트y’re doing in a direction that involves less risk. 

Cognitive science might seem like an abstract and removed 바카라사이트oretical discipline. However, 바카라사이트 practical process of university application and preparation requires a lot of cognition, and 바카라사이트ory informs best practices. 

Knowing how humans think can help us become better-informed – and compassionate – counsellors.